There is a lot of stuff in Judaism. Wine cups, challah covers, mezzuzot, Torah scrolls, tallitot, tallitot k’tanot, books, and more books. Which makes it easy for us to teach the lofty ideas of theology and culture and the weight of 5773 years of history to children who have been alive for a second of that history. On Passover, by studying the haggadah, we can learn about the story, liberation theory, historical context, political realities, and family traditions by going through a pre-set order established by the haggadah.

There is magic in a Passover seder. For those of us who attended seders as children, there may be magic coating the memories of the Passovers of our youth. In settling down for a long marathon of talking, arguing, sneaking [Read more…]

The year: 1999. The place: Beth Shalom Congregation, Elkins Park, PA, event hall. The room is full of about 150 elementary school students, sitting around round tables laden with plastic plates, wine cups we made ourselves, all fidgeting in our new Passover clothes. At the front of the room, aloft a podium, is Dr. Steven Brown, our headmaster. And he is wearing the silliest hats we’ve ever seen in our young lives.

For each of the 15 parts of the Passover seder, Dr. Brown changes his hat. We sing “Kadesh, oorchatz, karpas…” and are halted as the eldest students who’ve been to many a Model Seder at the Perelman Jewish Day School know, scream “AHA!” and we stop, to study, and observe the rituals of that part of the seder. So, we dip our celery painstakingly cut by parents into salt water, and resume, as Dr. Brown changes his hat with a [Read more…]

Alright kids, it’s almost time for Tu B’Shevat, the birthday of the trees.

First, we kick off the holiday by reading the story of Tu B’Shevat with one of our book reviewer Tamara Levine’s new favorite books, Happy Birthday, Tree! written by Madelyn Rosenbery.

What would you give a tree for its birthday? Ribbons, water, a present? Does it have all that it needs already? Joni in the picture book Happy Birthday, Tree!, written by Madelyn Rosenbery and illustrated by Jana Christy, doesn’t think so. She believes her favorite tree needs something for its birthday so that it can celebrate.

Tu B’Shevat is one of the Jewish New Years. It’s the birthday of the trees, of course! It’s celebrated on the 15th of Shevat.

Read this beautifully written and illustrate book to find out what Joni gives her favorite tree for its birthday. -Review by Tamara Levine

This wonderful craft project by blogger Miri Flower is a great way to bring a little light during a dark time of the year, while connecting to the spirit of Tu B’Shevat.

A craft to brighten up your day, close the curtains, turn off the lights & read a book by the light of a couple of these beautiful lanterns!

You will need: dried leaves, tissue paper cardboard paper

1) Cut your tissue paper into a square
2) Glue the leaves onto the top half, fold over the bottom & glue it together.
3) Cut a circle out of the cardboard, fold up the edges & glue your tissue paper around the circle. This is the bottom of your lantern.
4) Place a glass jar inside , light a candle & carefully place it inside the jar,
enjoy!

Of course, there are lost of great learning opportunities on Tu B’Shevat. Check out our Tu B’Shevat Portal for resources on the holiday, podcasts and grown up how-to guides.

Even Higher: A Rosh Hashanah Story adapted by Eric Kimmel and illustrated by Jill Weber is a wonderful story to read aloud to children about a Rabbi who is thought to go “even higher” just before Rosh Hashanah.

Every year just before Rosh Hashanah Rabbi Nemirov disappears. He’s not at home, or in the synagogue or in the village of Nemirov. The villages believe he’s gone to heaven to beg G-d for forgiveness of their souls. But is this where Rabbi Nemirov really goes?

A skeptical, but pious man-a Litvak comes to town and tells the villages they are wrong in their thinking. He uses the writings of ten Rabbis to back up his conclusion. However days before Rosh Hashanah the Litvak follows Rabbi Nemirov and what he finds makes him believe and declare that Rabbi Nemirov might go “even higher.”

What makes something a custom? Why do we do the things we do? Over time, as things change are we to change too or do we hold fast to the past?

The book When the Chickens Went on Strike: a Rosh Hashanah Tale adapted from a story by Sholom Aleichem by Erica Silverman and illustrated by Matthew Trueman asks and deals with these very questions in a manner accessible to children.

This story takes place in a Russian-Jewish village, many years ago so many in fact that most if not all of us were never around to witness to take part in Karpores (the Jewish tradition of holding a clucking chicken above the head of a person and saying a prayer to rid the person of his or her bad deeds. The little boy in this tale wants to behave very badly to make his papa proud, but he also wants to make his sister, who, I have to point out has to sit in the women’s section of the Shul, laugh. The boy’s father tells him to go outside because he causes such a disturbance. Outside the boy sees the chickens clucking. “Strike! Strike!” the chickens declare.

At first the boy is taken aback because he too, like the other villagers, believes in Karpores. He’s afraid there is no other way to get rid of his “bad deeds.” But perhaps there is after all as the story tells us: “Customs come and customs go.”

Tashlich is another Jewish custom of Rosh Hashanah, but unlike the custom of Karpores, Tashlick is still practiced by some Jewish people today. Tashlich is a Jewish custom of going to a body of water during Rosh Hashanah and tossing pieces of bread, which symbolize mistakes of the past year, into the water.

Tashlich at Turtle Rock by Susan Schnur and Anna Schur-Fishman and illustrated by Alex Steele-Morgan is a great way to look at or start your own family or friend customs or traditions during Rosh Hashanah.

Annie, Lincoln along with their mom and dad are off to do Tashlich. This year Annie is in charge of coming up with the family’s route. Annie chooses to stop at Turtle Rock first and to have the family write one good thing from the past year on the rock with the rock. After the family does this, dad washes their words away with water. Next they stop at Billy Goat’s Bridge and toss a piece of nature that represents something they want to throw away or ‘cast off’ from the past year. Annie chooses to stop at Gypsy Landing thirdly where each member of the family makes a promise for the New Year. Finally the family walks together to Old Log where they enjoy some yummy apples and honey.

So what are your families and friends traditions leading up to Rosh Hashanah and during the High Holidays?

Reviews are by Tamara Levine, who works in a children’s library and is active in our online community at OneShul.org.